Excerpt from Suki's e-mail dated 2/16/2006
Regarding the Apple Tree -- I'm so proud to tell you that my
5-year old apo, Samantha, has collected $45 for our apple tree. My kids and nieces went to lunch last Sunday (for my
b-day, of course) and I gave
Samantha a colored copy of our apple tree so she will have something
to do (eating is not one of her favorite thing to do). I told her to
count the apples for me, etc., etc.
She asked me what the chart is
for. I told her that the green in the chart means we have collected
more than
$6,000 in cash and red means the amount people promised to give. (I know it's not really like that but I'm talking to
a 5-year
old.) I also said that the apples on the tree were already bought
and that if people buy an apple,
I'll put that person's name on the
tree. I whispered to her to ask the people present to buy an apple
for $5.
That's what she did but it's funny how she explained it to
them. She asked them to choose an apple from the tree
and told them
that their name will replace a donor's name. She also said that
there are two categories:
the green means the process is finished
and the red is awaiting to be processed. My son said, she has just
watched
her beloved Discovery Channel and that's were she got those
words. My son took a picture of her, Percy and me while
she holds
the plastic with the apple tree and the money. I told her to show
the apples, but she wants to show
the money. She also asked me for
her prize. .....
Sam is a very special child -- she has hydrocephalus. She is retaining water in her brain and when she was 1 month old, a shunt was
inserted in her skull so water will drain from the brain to her stomach. That's why she has an occasional headache and
gives me the chill every time she's in pain. She's a brave girl.
